


Fate

by aplbunny



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 17:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6338338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aplbunny/pseuds/aplbunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fate always seemed like a silly idea to you, that is until you stumbled upon a certain Dutch florist more than a few times. Who knew you could become so close to someone you barely knew?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fate

“Food pellets, food pellets...where the hell are they hiding you,” you murmured to yourself as you craned your neck to see the high top shelves. You didn’t usually come here; the store was somewhat out of the way and it was stupid to drive more than necessary to pick up pet supplies. Yet due to errands, you had been placed in the area and just so happened to remember that you needed to pick a few things up before heading home. And while you were lucky that there was a pet store close by, it was becoming a chore to figure out where they kept their products. Usually you were in and out in under 5 minutes, but today you were going over 10, which was annoying to say the least. 

“Oh come on,” you sighed, “I know rabbits aren’t the most popular of pets, but they’re pets nonetheless! So it shouldn’t be this hard to find their food!” 

Taking a deep breath, you marched out of the aisle you were currently moping in and took a look around the store once more. Usually they kept all rabbit supplies in the same aisle as the products for mice, hamsters, and rats. But for _some_ reason this store didn’t see the need to do the same. “Maybe they just don’t have- AH!” you exclaimed loudly as your eyes scanned a sign reading, _Exotic Pets_. You never quite understood why, but apparently rabbits were exotic animals. Makes no sense, considering they’re common wildlife, but hey, whatever. 

You headed over to the aisle quickly and rounded the shelf, your eyes falling right onto familiar red plastic packaging. _Bingo_. With a triumphant smile you skipped over to the shelf and looked up to realize that it was placed up fairly high. A frown replaced your grin as you stood on your toes and stretched your hand up, your fingers almost brushing the bottom of the bag. You pushed your body up a bit more, your toes beginning to hurt as you struggled to reach the bag.

“Almost...” 

With a grunt, you made a small jump up, your fingers grazing the item, before you fell back onto your toes. Unfortunately, you didn’t land very stably and you stumbled back a few steps as you began to fall backwards. You let out a surprised gasp as your arms flailed about in front of you in an attempt to grab onto something, but it was too late. You shut your eyes tight as you braced yourself for impact, but instead of cold hard cement, your back was met with a completely different solid structure. Peeking your eyes open, you tilted your head back and your gaze was met with sharp green eyes.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” you apologized in embarrassment as you quickly regained your footing and pulled away from the stranger. Turning around you got a better look at him and felt your heart fall into your stomach.

The man was tall. Very tall. Normally his size alone would be shocking and somewhat intimidating, but his intense stare wasn’t helping much either. While his eyes were a beautiful green and gold mix, they were looking at you with what you could only describe as a glare, which was making them look more terrifying than they should have been. His dirty blonde hair was spiked up and he wore a blue and white scarf loosely around his neck, along with a tan jacket over a white t-shirt and brown pants, his feet covered by dark brown boots. His hands were shoved into his pockets in a nonchalant manner while his mouth was set in an expressionless line. 

“U-um...” You felt your cheeks flush at your stuttering. You withheld a gasp as his hand was pulled out of his pocket and made its way toward you. Shutting your eyes again, you waited for...well, you weren’t really sure what to expect, but you braced yourself anyways. That is, until you heard a quiet rustle behind you. Opening your eyes you looked up to see the strange man grabbing the food bag you had been aiming for earlier, his large hand gripping the bag and easily lifting it off the shelf and holding it out before you.

“This is what you were trying to reach, right?” he asked, his deep voice breaking the silence. 

“Oh, uh, y-yes! Thank you very much!” you said quickly as you reached out with two hands and took the heavy bag from him, your cheeks red as your eyes flitted back between it and him. 

“You should be careful, you almost fell. You’re lucky I happened to be standing by,” he said, and to your shock a small smile pulled at his lips, making his once intimidating presence much less so. You could feel your cheeks becoming warmer and you laughed nervously.

“Yea...pretty stupid of me I guess,” you said as you gave him a big smile. 

“So, you have a rabbit then?” he asked as he began to reach above your head once more. You nodded and your smile widened.

“Yes!”

“What a coincidence,” he said as he pulled an identical bag of food down and cradled it in bend of his arm. “Me too.”

“Oh! What kind? Name?” you asked happily. It was rare to run into another rabbit owner, considering they weren’t your everyday household pet. 

“His name is Govert, he’s a holland lop.”

“Aww! I’ve always thought lops were so cute!!” you said excitedly as you pictured the little long eared critter. The man’s smile grew as he spoke.

“And what about yours?”

“Oh! I have a netherland dwarf! His name is Elliott! He’s so cute!” you gushed, your smile beaming at the thought of your little baby. 

“Ah, I’m quite familiar with that breed, good choice,” the man commented.

“I agree, some rabbits get so big, he’s right in the middle! Plus he doesn’t have a temper, or, well, I guess he is a bit sassy sometimes, like if I stop petting him he’ll get angry and nudge me as if to say, ‘I didn’t say you could stop, peasant,’! But sometimes he’s so sweet, if I’ve given him sufficient cheek rubs he’ll give me kisses on the nose, it’s just the cutest thing, though I wish he would let me cuddle with him more...I try to give him my love but he just runs and hides under the couch,” you said with a sigh as a dejected look crossed your face. You looked up when you heard chuckling and you saw the man had quite an amused look on his face. Your ears grew hot, as did your face, when you realized you had gotten a bit carried away. “S-sorry, I got swept up there a bit-” 

You were stopped as a hand was held out before you.

“I’m Abel. Abel Morgens,” he said with a grin. Smiling you wrapped your smaller hand around his and gave it a firm handshake.

“I’m (Name), nice to meet you,” you said. “It’s always nice to meet a rabbit enthusiast,” you said with a laugh. “Most people think it’s strange to own a bunny and they never appreciate my funny stories involving pet drama.”

“Very true. Do you need help getting anything else?” Abel asked as he glanced down the aisle.

“Well...I should probably get more hay, but I can handle-” you started, only to watch as Abel took two long strides past you and grabbed a large pack of hay before returning with it under his arm. “Oh, thank you,” you said with a small laugh. Abel nodded and then stared down at the bag of food you held in your hands for a moment, before taking that as well and carrying it in his free hand.

“I’ll help you take these to the checkout,” he said as you stared at him in surprise.

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

“It’s no big deal, really,” he added quickly. “It’s just, you’re so...” he trailed off as he stared down at you. “...small.”

You covered your mouth in an attempt to restrain yourself, but couldn’t hold it in for long with the serious look he was giving you, your hand finally falling away as you fell into a fit of laughter, much to Abel’s surprise.

“A-Abel, I can handle a bag of rabbit food, I’m not made of glass. I’m actually quite strong, despite my size,” you said as you wiped your eyes and composed yourself. Abel’s eyes darted away quickly and a light blush formed on his cheeks in embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you were incapable of carrying them, I just, I guess...” he faltered once again and you couldn’t help but smile. He was actually quite charming despite what you had thought of him at first glance. You felt guilty now that you thought back to how scared you had acted of him, judging him simply by how he looked.

“Thank you for helping me out,” you said with a grin. “Do you need anything else? Since your arms are full, I can get it,” you offered, but Abel shook his head.

“I’m fine. To the checkout then?” he asked, to which you nodded. The two of you exited the aisle and slowly headed towards the front of the store, your hands fidgeting nervously in front of you as you tried to think of something to say. This was quite an unexpected turn of events and you had to admit that you weren’t at all displeased with it. What were the odds of bumping into a more than attractive man who shared the same love for rabbits that you did, simply because you were stuck on the opposite side of town and needed pet food? Hopefully you didn’t do or say anything stupid in the next few minutes that would chase him off, though you had already embarrassed yourself several times in his presence and he had seemed rather amused, which you assumed was a good thing. 

“So...” 

Your head snapped up at the sound of Abel’s voice and you flashed him a smile.

“Yes?”

“You...I don’t mean to sound, well...creepy, but...do you usually come here?” Abel asked sheepishly, his eyes glancing away awkwardly. You let out a small laugh before answering.

“No, I don’t. Why?” you asked curiously. It was an odd question. Did you somehow look out of place? 

“Oh, it’s nothing really. I just come here a lot and I get sorta acquainted with the people who shop here, and I’ve never seen you before, so I just wondered...” Abel trailed off as he shifted the merchandise in his arms as you let out another laugh.

“No, I live on the other side of town, I’m only over here for some errands and this was the only pet store nearby,” you explained quickly as the two of you approached the checkout. Abel set your items down on the counter gently before stepping aside and allowing you room to pay. “Thank you,” you said as you sent him another warm smile.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied with a faint grin. 

“I can help you over here, sir,” a cashier from a few rows over called, to which Abel nodded before turning back to you.

“I guess I’ll see you around then. Have a good day, (Name).”

“Yea, thank you, you too,” you replied hastily as he turned and headed towards the other checkout. You were sure the girl ringing you up was aware of the bright red tint of your cheeks, but you ignored it and paid quickly. Sending the tall green eyed man one final glance, you exited the shop, a small smile still lingering on your face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yes, can I have a small iced mocha, please?” you ordered as you searched through your purse for your ever elusive wallet. You’d think it was an endless pit due to the amount of time it took you to find anything!

Finally fishing it out, you handed your money to the bored teen behind the counter who quickly tossed you your change as he mumbled a pathetic ‘what can I get for you?’ to the next person in line. Juggling your change, you stepped out of the way and moved over to the serving counter, where you fought to shove the extra dollar and coins into their respectful places in your wallet, your eyebrows furrowing as you struggled. 

_I seriously need to invest in a bigger wallet or something_ , you thought to yourself in agitation as you managed to stow the single away, now turning your attention to the loose change. 

“One small iced mocha?”

“Ah! Yes, that’s me-” Your eyes darted up quickly, and in your haste to get the barista’s attention, your fingers moved a hair to the left, dropping your spare change to the floor with clatter. “Oh for God’s sake,” you muttered angrily to yourself as you bent over to retrieve your lost coins. “A mess everywhere I go, good job (Name), let’s hold up the line, way to g-”

“...(Name)?”

Your head snapped up at the voice and your heart leapt in surprise. _Who the hell…? I don’t even live over here, how could there be anyone I know in this vicinity?_ your thoughts questioned as you looked up to meet your apparent acquaintance.

Your eyes grew double in size as you looked up to see a towering figure before you and bright green eyes staring down at you in astonishment. If his size and piercing gaze hadn’t been enough of a reminder, his gelled hair and striped scarf brought you back 3 weeks to a certain pet shop.

“...Abel?” you muttered in confusion as you stood from you spot on the floor, your change locked in your fist as you stared up at the tall man in disbelief. 

At the sound of his name, Abel’s shocked expression melted and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here?” he asked. 

“Oh, well, I just happened to be in the area again and decided to treat myself to something. Coffee usually makes me feel like I’ve downed 5 energy drinks, but it’s been so warm out that I wanted something cold to drink,” you answered with a smile as you dropped your change into your purse quickly, the need to put them in their rightful place quickly forgotten. 

“Uh...small iced mocha?” the barista repeated.

“Oh! Sorry, that’s me,” you repeated sheepishly as you reached out to retrieve your drink, catching the next customer’s glare as you intercepted their reach to their own order. Your face flushed in embarrassment and you sent them an apologetic look. “S-Sorry,” you apologized once again, only to receive a scorching glare in response.

An arm around your shoulders directed your mind elsewhere and you looked up to see Abel steering you out of the angry customer’s line of sight and towards an empty table instead.

“Some people should learn to be more patient,’’ he muttered quietly, his eyes briefly flickering back to the angry woman who was now arguing with the barista over her drink.

“Seriously,” you replied quietly with a small laugh. You took a seat at the table he had lead you to, smiling as he did the same. “It’s so funny that we’ve run into each other! Small world, right?” you said cheerfully. You couldn’t deny that your mind had dwelled on your last meeting with Abel more than once, daydreaming about bumping into him again, but you never thought that it would actually happen.

Abel grinned as he brought his mug to his lips. “Must be fate,” he replied from behind the cup. You could tell from the spark in his eyes that he was teasing, but you couldn’t help the light blush that invaded your cheeks as you clutched your own cup.

Attempting to take your mind off of the comment you were sure he meant nothing by, you took a few sips of your icy coffee before trying to speak coherently. “Well, what have you been up to in the past few weeks? Anything fun and exciting?” you asked in an attempt to make small talk. 

Abel gave a casual shrug as he set his coffee cup on the table and leaned back in his chair. “Not really. Not much that I would want to bore you with,” he said with a smile. “How is Elliott doing?” 

“You remembered his name!” you said happily, a large smile blooming on your face as you laughed, the tension leaving your body. “He’s doing well! Not any less rambunctious than usual. Wait, I’ll show you a picture of him!” you exclaimed as you rummaged through your purse once again to retrieve your phone, pulling up a photo of Elliott lounging on his favorite pillow, and sliding it across the table to Abel. 

“He’s quite the little prince, isn’t he?” he commented with a chuckle, his long fingers handing the phone back to you once he was done.

“He really is. He wears me out, but it’s worth the 5 minutes of attention he gives me a day,” you said with a laugh as you looked at the picture fondly before putting it away. “And how is Govert?” 

“Doing just as good, though he did get into one of my potted plants the other day,” he said with a sigh and you laughed. “I feel the need to share as well, since you’ve already done so,” he said as he pulled his phone out and pulled up a picture before handing it to you. A giggle escaped your lips as you stared at the photo. 

Govert was a round bunny, his fur mostly white, save for the top halves of his ears, a small spot on his back, and his tail, which were all grey. In the picture he was happily eating from a large bin of hay, his paws resting on the rim of the container.

“He’s precious! Elliott does the same thing, for some reason they need to have their paws in their food to enjoy it,” you said with a laugh as you handed him his phone back.

“So what brings you over to this side of town this time?” he asked curiously.

“Well the place I used for dry cleaning last time did a phenomenal job, so I decided to continue using their services and they happen to be over this way,” you said as you used your straw to play with the thick whipped cream on the top of your drink. “What about you?”

“Just stopping by during my break for a pick me up before heading back to work.”

“Oh? Where do you work?”

“I own a small flower shop up the road, nothing fancy. I have to get up early in order to restock on fresh flowers, so around this time I usually need some caffeine. I don’t even come to this cafe normally, but my usual place is closed today so I had to improvise. Interesting how I run into you on today of all days in a place I never visit,” he remarked as he took another swig of his coffee.

“It must really be fate then, huh?” you joked with a grin. Abel returned the smile before the sound of muffled vibrating filled the air and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A frown replaced his grin as he silenced the buzzing and looked back to you.

“Sorry, I need to head back, we’re supplying huge bouquets for a wedding today and I need to make sure they handle the plants properly,” he explained as he pocketed his phone. “It was nice meeting you again, perhaps we’ll run into each other again sometime,” he said with a faint smirk.

“It was nice to see you again as well. And who knows, maybe fate will bring us together again,” you said with a laugh. 

“I certainly hope she does,” Abel replied as he stood and headed towards the door, giving you a final wave before leaving. 

You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot as you sat there staring at your drink. Your heart was beating twice as fast and your stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, effects you were sure, for once, had nothing to do with your coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The warm late summer breeze blew through your hair, causing it to fly into your face and obscure your view. You brushed it away in slight irritation as you walked down the street. Your hand gripped the strap of your purse tighter as anxiety and fear clutched at your heart, your footsteps becoming faster as you headed for God-knows-where. Your mind turned and twisted as you tried to reassure yourself everything would be fine and that you were overreacting, only to have those thoughts overrun with worst case scenarios.

A few days ago you had noticed something off with Elliott, and hoping it was nothing too serious and would go away on its own, you had given the watery eye a day or so to heal, but there was no such luck. After calling the vet, they suggested you drop him off and leave him in their care for a day or so in order to diagnose him and keep tabs on him. You were currently on your way back from checking him in, and despite the nurse’s comforting words, you couldn’t keep the dread from filling you.

Past memories and pain boiled to the top and you were having a difficult time finding a way to calm yourself down. You knew from past experience that a rabbit’s health was fragile and that it didn’t take much for something to become life threatening. Often times there was little or nothing a doctor could do to help with health issues and that knowledge only made you more concerned.

 _Calm down, (Name), you’re being ridiculous_ , you chided yourself. _Worrying over him right now won’t do any good, you’re just creating anxiety for yourself. You need to relax._

As if God had heard your thoughts, a bright flash of color caught your eye and you looked across the street to see a very large and beautiful park. You had passed by it before and had always wanted to take a peek inside, but you had always been so busy you’d never gotten the chance.

 _Well, now seems like a pretty good time, I guess,_ you thought as you crossed the street and walked through the entrance. As soon as you set foot inside, you were immediately in awe of the sheer size and elegance of the place. The park looked more like a mansion garden than it did a park. While there were plenty of benches placed among the pathways, fountains, and a simplistic playground you could see further in, the majority of the space was filled with every kind of flower and plant imaginable. It was as if you had stepped into something from a book.

You walked further into the park, taking your time to gaze upon the gorgeous blossoms and foliage that surrounded you. Each plant had a small plaque near it, indicating its name and some information about it, which you found very helpful when it came to the more unusual flowers. After walking for about 10 minutes or so, you spotted an empty bench that was seated among a plethora of bright flowers, and was pocketed somewhat out of sight. 

Perfect.

Walking up to the bench, you took a seat and leaned back, your head falling over the back as you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. This place was like an oasis, completely relaxing and peaceful. If you were trying to find a place to calm your nerves, this was a pretty good place to start. 

Opening your eyes slowly, your gaze stared up at the blue summer sky. Beautiful white clouds floated dreamily and you watched as they slowly made their way across the horizon. You had begun to space out, your mind wandering and your unfocused gaze staring upwards, when a voice shook you from your daydream. 

“Enjoying the view?” a deep voice inquired from above you and you jumped, your head shooting up quickly as your gaze met familiar green and golden eyes and slightly gelled dirty blond hair. You almost couldn’t believe the sight, your mouth automatically pulling itself into a smile and a happy laugh spilling from your lips.

“Abel! What a surprise! What are you doing here??” you asked as you stared up at his towering form. You couldn’t help it; it was just so strange that you had managed to run into him now two times purely by accident. Only a few weeks ago he had been a complete stranger. Not that you knew him all that well now, you couldn’t even call him an acquaintance really, but still, what were the chances?

“I should be the one you asking that,” he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching up slightly in what you dared to call a smile. “I walk through this park everyday, and I’ve never seen you here once. And I would remember if I had.” His cheeks had turned slightly pink, and you wondered if maybe the sun was beginning to get to him. 

“Oh, well I guess that's true...this is the first time I’ve ever been in here, actually. I’ve always admired the flowers and landscaping, but I never took the time to come and take a closer look. It’s really amazing, truly a piece of artwork,” you said as you looked at the stunning scenery again. 

“Is this spot taken?” he asked, his head gesturing to the seat beside you. 

“Oh, no it’s not. Here,” you said quickly as you moved over to make more room for him to sit. He chuckled as he took the open seat.

“Like you really take up that much space,” he teased, this time a much more prominent grin gracing his features. You couldn’t contain the blush that spread over your cheeks as you laughed nervously at yourself. “So, are you over here for errands again?”

“Well, not quite...” you said as you tucked a few wild strands of hair behind your ear. “So, you come here everyday?” you remarked in hopes of directing the conversation in a different direction. It seemed to work as Abel nodded his head in response as he stared out into the park.

“I like to look at the flowers. Next to rabbits, gardening and horticulture are my passions.”

“That does make sense, considering you own your own florist shop. I have a few plants, nothing serious, just some small things,” you said with a smile, though your heart had fallen at the mention of rabbits. Heart wrenching memories flashed across your mind and the worried thoughts of your currently ill pet returned once again. Your hands gripped at your skirt and your thumbs ran over the soft material in a frantic motion as you stared off into the colorful groups of roses that grew before you. “So what are your favorite things to grow?” you asked absentmindedly in an attempt to distract yourself and keep the conversation going. You couldn’t sit here and act like sad puppy when Abel had gone out of his way to sit down and talk to you. 

His response came quickly, as if he didn’t even need to think or ponder his answer. “Tulips. I saw them a lot when I was younger growing up in the Netherlands. They’re very popular flowers there, and it was rare that you didn’t see them, so I guess they remind me of home. Not that I don’t like them for their looks or anything, I think they're...very pretty...” he said, adding the last part quietly to himself, seeming to be embarrassed about admitting so. 

“You lived in the Netherlands?? That’s amazing!” You found your smile becoming less forced and more natural at the sight of his flushed cheeks. It was cute to see him acting shy, though you could see why he might be embarrassed. Abel wasn’t someone you would deem soft or gentle at first glance, seeing as he was at least 6 foot and was clearly very fit physically, his toned chest and firm biceps visible even through his shirt. When they had first bumped into each other at the pet store you had assumed he would be gruff and hostile because of his serious expression, but he had surprised you, his actions the exact opposite and instead being very gentle and sweet. 

“There it is,” he said softly, causing you to jump slightly as you looked over to see a gentle smile on his lips.

“What?” you asked in confusion, your eyebrows knitting together.

“You smiled, just now,” he explain, his green-amber irises watching you as the smile remained on his face. You felt yourself blush, but you weren’t sure if it was because he was watching you, because he had noticed your smile, or because you had never seen him smile for such a long period of time, and the look suited him more than well.

“I...what do you mean, I’ve smiled before then. Several times, I’m sure,” you said, and your hands quickly went your cheeks as if there were some way to prove it.

“Not a real smile. Those were all just polite fronts to get through the conversation. But that was a real smile,” he said, his eyes still trained on your now much darker face.

“I-I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to seem—”

“You don’t have to apologize because you aren’t in the best mood,” he said as he scooted closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours, the smile falling from his face and replaced with a look of concern as the corner of his lips turned down slightly and his eyebrows pulled together. “What’s wrong?”

The question threw you for a moment as you scrambled for something to say, other than what was actually on your mind. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. I’m fine, I’m really just tired—” You cut yourself off with the look he was giving you, his dubious expression telling you that he wasn’t buying it. Letting out a quiet sigh, you looked down at your lap, your hands folded so tightly that your knuckles had gone white. “I ...it’s Elliott,” you muttered.

“Your rabbit? Has something happened?” he asked quickly, the concern in his voice making your heart melt. How could someone like him care so much about someone he barely knew? 

_No_ , you corrected yourself, _he doesn’t care about me specifically, he cares about Elliott. He loves rabbits, of course he would be concerned._ Shaking the nagging voice in your mind, you continued.

“He’s sick. Or, well, I guess I’m simply assuming he is anyways. I just dropped him off at the vet before this,” you said as you brushed aside your feelings of disappointment. 

“What’s wrong, has he stopped eating?” Abel asked, his voice slightly alarmed.

“No...it’s his eye. It’s been watery and leaky...I thought that maybe he had simply poked himself with hay or something, a stupid thought really, but it still hasn’t gone away.”

“It’s not stupid, it makes sense...but it doesn’t sound too bad,” he said encouragingly. “That’s common in rabbits, normally you just clean the area—”

“With warm water and a towel and use eye drops,” you finished.

“You’ve done research,” he stated, sounding somewhat impressed, his right eyebrow arched. A smile pulled at your lips as you shook your head.

“No...I’ve done it in the past.”

“So this is a revisit to the vet as a check up?” he asked confused. You shook your head again as you unfolded your hands and rested them on your lap.

“No...Elliott isn’t my first bunny. I had another one, a little over a year ago,” you admitted, your hands once again clutching the fabric of your skirt. Peeling your gaze away from your hands you glanced over at Abel and gave him a weak smile. “He died.”

The look on his face morphed from confusion to sorrow as his bright eyes dimmed and he gave you a soft sympathetic look. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said quietly. 

“He was...very special to me,” you said as you looked away from him and gazed upwards. Large white clouds towered in the bright blue sky, almost resembling floating castles. They were you favorite type of clouds too; cumulus congestus. You had such a love for their gigantic size and beauty that you had made it a point to learn what they were called. At the moment though, you couldn’t say their appearance was as exciting as usual. 

“I’ve always loved bunnies. Ever since I was little I wanted to have one of my own. Whenever I blew out the candles on my birthday cake or saw the first night star I would wish for a bunny. It was all I ever wanted,” you said with a faint smile as you reminisced. “And then one day when I was nine, my grandmother took me to a pet shop we always visited. It was my favorite part of visiting her, next to the home cooking. I ran up to the pens and saw a beautiful brown rabbit. His fur looked just like a cotton tail’s, the varying brown shades tipped with a light cream color and a white fluffy tail. He was perfect. When my grandmother asked me which one I liked best, I chose him of course, and then she told me to look at the sign. She had already bought him for me and told me to pick him up so we could take him home. I was so excited, it was honestly the best day of my life,” you said with a short laugh. 

“He was more than a pet to me, even more than an addition to the family. I didn’t have a lot of friends,” you admitted, releasing your hold on your clothes and smoothing out the wrinkles. “I kept to myself. My family didn’t get along well and I stayed in my room. Among my family and the few friends I did have, I somehow always ended up being on the outside of the circle. I was like a shadow to the people around me, my presence known, but often ignored. I guess you could call me the black sheep in the group. But that didn’t matter to me, because of him. He was my sunshine, my one golden ray of light. I told him everything. I cried to him and told him my secrets, and he would just sit and listen. And when I was sick or feeling down I could always find him and hold him and know that all the horrible and bad things didn’t really matter, because I had him, and he was all I needed. He even listened to me play,” you said with a smile as you looked to the garden and watched a butterfly flutter from one flower to the next. “No one really listened to me play—the piano I mean,” you clarified quickly. “Anytime they wanted to show off, my parents would have me play for them and their friends, but after only a minute they would begin to talk and tune me out. I would just move into another song, knowing that they wouldn’t even notice, and I was too embarrassed to finish, knowing that none of them had really heard me. But he always listened. I would play and he would just lay down and close his eyes, his ears sticking straight up. He loved it.” You felt your throat tighten at the memory of him laying out on the sitting room floor, his eyes half lidded as you played one of your favorite songs. 

“But the years went on and he got old. I had gotten him right when I finished fourth grade, and here I was, heading back to college for my sophomore year. He had dental issues, as most rabbits do. He had undergone surgery for it, but it still affected his eyes and he also had an infection. But I couldn’t see it. I refused to see it,” you whispered. “I didn’t notice the way he had begun to lose weight, or how his dental issues had caused him to have watery eyes and eating issues. I knew he was getting older, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit that he was no longer the peppy little bunny I had gotten nine years prior.” 

You felt the first tear slip past your lashes and roll down your cheek, but you didn’t stop. “It was my father who suggested it. I remember the second the words left his mouth I had already started crying. I didn’t want to hear it, I couldn’t do it. But as the days went on I realized I couldn’t keep him with me anymore, I couldn’t be selfish. I couldn’t keep him with me, knowing how much he was suffering. I spent the whole day with him, holding him, feeding him. I played for him, or at least I tried. I only made it halfway through the damn song,” you said with a bitter laugh. “It was so horrid because he still acted so much like the bunny I had loved all those years. He even got angry with me because I wouldn’t let him run and kept him next to me all day. And then the time came and we drove to the vet. They gave us time alone with him. It felt like hours. I just looked down at him and kept repeating in my mind that this was the best decision I could make for him, knowing that if I didn’t he would continue to hold on until his body couldn’t take it anymore. And then they took him from me, and he was gone.”

You felt something squeeze your hand and you jumped, before looking down to see Abel’s hand gripping your own. You hadn’t even noticed that he had taken it in his, and you let your swollen eyes drift up to meet his. He looked pained and upset, listening to every word you spoke. “The last time I was at that place I handed him over, and when I got him back he was dead in a box. What if by next week that’s Elliott? I don’t think I can do it again. I may not have had nine years with Elliott, but that doesn’t make it any easier. What if they find something wrong and I have to do that-that horrible thing again—” You broke off with a sob as your free hand covered your mouth in an effort to quiet the choking sound of your cry back as best as possible.

You felt a quick jerk on your left hand, the one Abel had been holding, and you quickly found your face pressed against his chest, his arms wrapping around you tightly as he rubbed soothing circles on your back.

“It’s alright (Name),” he muttered into your ear softly, his arms tightening their hold as another sob escaped your lips. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to calm yourself down by listening to the beat of his heart and feeling his warm arms around you. It felt nice to be held, you realized, and you wished you could stay wrapped in his arms forever. Sniffling as quietly as possible, you pulled yourself away from Abel’s very comforting hold and glanced down at your lap.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered as you wiped at your eyes and nose, your face red. “I didn’t mean to do this to you, you were only concerned about Elliott, you didn’t need to hear all this—”

“That’s not true,” he interrupted quickly, causing you to meet his steady gaze. “I’m concerned about you.” At the sight of your tomato red face, a soft smile appeared on his lips as he reached out and wiped a straggling tear from under your eye with his thumb. “I understand what it means to lose something close to you. I can’t say I know exactly how you feel, because I don’t think anyone can completely relate to the relationship between an animal and their owner, even if they have a pet of their own. I like to think that every relationship is different and special, and that no one can take that away from you, because they don’t truly understand it. But I can say that I know the pain and guilt that comes along with making that kind of decision. I’m very sorry for your loss, I can see you loved him very very much,” he said gently, earning a meek nod from you. “I know you’re worried about Elliott, and I know I’m not a doctor or anything, but I think that he’s going to be just fine. He’s a young and energetic little guy from what I’ve heard, and I think that this is just a tiny bump in the road. I’m sure that as soon as you walk through those doors, he’s going to hear your voice and be rattling at his cage door trying to get out so you can take him home and baby the hell out of him,” he said, causing you to laugh as you wiped away any stray tears. “There’s that smile,” he responded with a grin. 

“Now,” he said as he took your hand and stood from his spot on the bench, pulling you up with him, “I know a very nice little cafe down the street. I think you need a cup of tea. My treat, of course,” he added.

“Oh, Abel, you don’t have to do that, you’ve already done so much, listening to me blabber and everything—”

“You aren’t allowed to refuse,” he said sternly. “You need something warm to calm you down and I’m going to be the one who gets it for you. So, you can either come with me willingly, or I will be forced to carry you there.”

“You can’t be serious,” you said with a laugh.

“I am. Completely. I suggest you make your decision quickly, because I myself am craving some coffee and I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

“Alright, tea and coffee it is then,” you said with a grin. 

“Good decision,” he commented as he pulled you beside him, his fingers intertwining with yours as he began to lead you out of the park.

“Abel?” 

“Hm?”

“...Thank you,” you said quietly. Abel responded by squeezing your hand gently as the two of you walked out of the park and headed down the street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ms. (Last Name)?”

“Yes, here,” you said quickly as you stood from your seat in the waiting room. 

“If you’ll come with me please,” the receptionist said with a bright smile as she held the door to the patient rooms open, the bottom of the clipboard in her left hand pressing into her side.

“I’ll be right here when you get back,” a soft voice said from beside you and you looked over and smiled. Abel had offered to come with you to pick up Elliott, seeing as you were still anxious about his results. Your date to the little cafe the day before had been very enjoyable and the two of you had come to know each other better. Abel had been very good at distracting you and was very comforting and reassuring whenever your mind wandered back to your sick baby. You didn’t know how you could thank him, but according to him, the afternoon you spent drinking tea and talking with him had been more than enough. You still couldn’t help but blush when you thought about it, but you shook your head and focused on the job at hand.

“Thanks, I’ll be right back, hopefully,” you said to Abel as you headed to the door and followed the nurse through the hallway. The air had that clean, sterile smell to it. You didn’t like it. Regardless of whether it was a hospital for humans or pets, places filled with doctors and needles terrified you. And the clean smell. Nothing should smell that chemically clean. 

“Here we are,” the nurse said suddenly as she stopped before room number 3 and opened the door for you. “The doctor will be with you shortly with Elliott.” 

You thanked her quickly before she shut the door to leave you alone with your thoughts. You looked at the animal photos hanging on the wall and spotted a cork board with photos and cards pinned to it. All the cards were written to the hospital with thanks for caring for their pets, even though all of them relayed the message that their pets had passed on and were missed dearly. Your heart throbbed painfully as you looked away. Why in God’s name would they put those in here?!

You jumped as the sound of the door on the opposite side of the room opened suddenly.

“Ah, sorry, did I scare you?,” the doctor asked, as he walked through the door, a small bundle in his arms. He was very handsome, his thick curly brown hair swept across his forehead and his bright green eyes popped out against his dark olive skin. You noticed the tag on his chest read ‘Dr. Carriedo’.

“Oh, it’s alright, I scare easily,” you said with an embarrassed laugh.

“I see, well then I’ll take care not to make any sudden movements,” he said with a wink and a smiled, showing off his particularly straight white teeth. 

_If the man hadn’t become a doctor, he could make millions selling toothpaste_ , you thought and suppressed a grin. Your thoughts on the subject stopped immediately as Dr. Carriedo set the small bundle down, and a familiar twitchy nose poked past the material.

“Elliott!” you exclaimed loudly as you stood from your seat quickly and came to the side of the examination table. At the sound of your voice, the little bunny’s ears swiveled and he turned to run into your hands, his face snuggling up against your palms and giving you many kisses across your fingers. 

“Looks like you weren’t the only one who was lonely,” Dr. Carriedo said with a laugh.

“I guess so,” you agreed as you gave the bunny a kiss on the head. “So, what’s the verdict?” you asked hesitantly, your fingers unconsciously finding their way to the rabbit’s cheeks and rubbing them gently. The doctor smiled warmly and let out a light chuckle. 

“No need to look so concerned, _chica_. Elliott here is doing very well, good weight, very healthy appetite. We did check his teeth and they look normal, and we see no infection to the gums or eyes,” he explained as he bent over the table and examined the bunny’s eye once again. You noticed his watery eye had been cleaned, as well as his nails trimmed, which you greatly appreciated. “We can’t seem to find anything wrong with him particularly,” he continued as he scratched behind Elliott's ears. “But it’s always difficult with rabbits, especially when it comes to eye and tooth issues. We still don’t know what causes these problems and we don’t have any real solution for fixing them either,” he said with a frown.

“So should I just keep it clean then?” 

“ _Si_ , exactly!” he exclaimed loudly with another bright smile. “As of now there doesn’t seem to be anything indicating any infection, as I said earlier, but if you notice that the discharge from his eye becomes white or is no longer clear, make sure to bring him back in. I’ll write a prescription for some eye drops for Mister Elliott,” he said as he pulled a pen from his coat pocket and began writing. “Again, this won’t necessarily cure his eye, but it may help,” he said as he handed you the small slip of paper with a grin.

“Thank you so much Doctor—”

“Oh, there’s no need for formalities, ‘doctor’ is just a title,” he said happily. “Please, call me Antonio.”

“Oh, um, thank you, Antonio. I’m so glad that it’s nothing serious,” you said with a relieved smile.

“Yes, I read about what happened to your last rabbit from your history chart...I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said gently, his green eyes saddening and a frown coming to his face.

“Oh, it’s alright. He’s in a better place,” you replied with a tiny smile as you placed the happy bunny in his carry case and zipping it closed. “And I have Elliott now."

“That you do! Well, that’s all I have for you at the moment, let’s get this little guy checked out so you can be on your way,” he said brightly as he walked to the door you had entered through and held it open as you exited and headed to the main counter. You spotted Abel through the glass window separating the waiting room and the hallway and grinned. He was standing in the corner of the room in front of a coffee machine with a confused look on his face. You realized it was a Keurig, and he looked completely lost as he stared at it, unsure of how to operate it, holding an empty styrofoam cup in his hand. You wanted to keep watching him to see what he would do, but Antonio’s voice pulled you back to him as he handed you the bill. 

Giving him a signed check you smiled. “Thank you again Doc—Antonio,” you said hastily as Antonio gave you a playful glare.

“It’s no problem at all! Here’s my card in case anything should ever happen and you need advice on rabbit care,” he said as he handed you a small rectangular card. “And here,” he said again as he bent over and wrote something down on a scrap of paper hastily, “is my personal phone number,” he said with a wink as he gave it to you. You stood staring at him shocked for a moment before your face exploded in red. Before you could say anything in response, the small scrap was ripped from your fingers and you turned to look behind you to see Abel glaring at Antonio in fury.

“She won’t be needing this,” he muttered darkly as he stiffly held the paper out to Antonio, whose eyes had gone very wide in surprise.

“Oh, I apologize, are you her boyfriend?” he asked curiously. At this, Abel’s face joined yours in darkening a few shades.

“I-I...w-well, no, I’m—”

“Ah, I see,” he said with a mischievous smirk. “Well I apologize regardless, though it is quite the shame we didn’t have the chance to meet sooner, _chica_ ,” Antonio said to you with yet another wink, which made Abel go ridged beside you.

“Let’s go, (Name),” he said as he took your hand and turned, heading for the exit.

“Oh, a-alright, um, t-thanks again,” you called behind you to Antonio, who just smiled and waved as the door shut behind you. You turned your attention to Abel, his wide back looming before you as he continued to pull you behind him and into the parking lot towards his car. “A-Abel?” 

Your voice made him tense, and he finally released your hand as they reached his car, his hand reaching up to scratch his head nervously. 

“I’m sorry...it wasn’t right for me to do that...I mean he’s right and all, I’m not your...boyfriend...or anything...” he mumbled, his cheeks flaming red. “I mean, I guess, you can go back in, if you wanted...for his number, I mean,” he said quietly, his eyes shifting to the back of his car and then to the ground, completely avoiding your eyes. 

You held back a giggle and shifted Elliott's carry cage in your hands, before hesitantly reaching over and slipping your hand in his. The action seemed to surprise him tremendously as his wide eyes shot up to yours, a shocked expression on his face.

“Well, I don’t really want to… If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stick with you,” you said with a smile.

He stared at you a moment longer before a gentle grin pulled at his lips and his eyes softened, his hand squeezing yours. “I wouldn’t mind at all,” he said softly. “How about I get you and the kiddo home then?” 

“Sounds good to me!” you said cheerfully as you turned and headed to the passenger’s side of the car. Or at least you tried anyways, but found yourself being pulled in the other direction instead, your face meeting with Abel’s chest none too gently. Pulling back a bit, you turned your head up to ask what was wrong, but nothing left your mouth as you felt a pair of lips press softly against yours. You were too shocked to do anything and before you knew it the soft pressure was gone and you were staring at a slightly flushed Abel, whose green orbs peered down at you nervously.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean...w-well I guess I did, but...please don’t be mad,” he pleaded quietly, his eyebrows creased together anxiously.

“N-no, it’s alright, I-I liked it, I was just surprised, I mean, I didn’t expect—”

You were cut off as his lips pressed against yours once again, a bit stronger than before, and this time you didn’t hesitate to kiss him back as your free hand gripped the fabric of his shirt, and his hand against your lower back pulled you closer. When you finally pulled back Abel was smirking and you were a shade of red you were sure no one had seen before.

“So, shall we go?” he asked as he walked you to the passenger’s side and opened the door for you. You simply nodded and climbed in, pulling Elliott's cage into your lap and covering your cheeks with your hands once Abel had shut the door. After getting in himself and pulling out of the parking lot, you felt him reach over and take your hand in his, his thumb running over the top of your knuckles in a slow soothing matter. You began to feel your heart slow and your blush recede. 

“I hope you aren’t angry about the whole Antonio thing...” you said uncertainly. All the anger he seemed to have had at the vet was gone, but you wanted to make sure that there wasn't any lingering negative feelings. But sure enough, Abel’s eyebrows furrowed and a frown tugged on his lips.

“Nonsense, I’m completely fine,” he said shortly, to which you winced. Clearly he wasn’t happy about it. “But it doesn’t matter. You aren’t free tonight anyways, so there would be no need for him to bother asking you out.”

“Tonight? I’m busy? I don’t recall...” you trailed off as you tried to remember your plans; you weren’t a very busy person, so it wasn't hard to keep track of any upcoming events. And it must have been something quite important if you had shared it with Abel.

“You have a date with me, for dinner,” Abel stated, a small grin on his face as he stared out the windshield. You blushed again, and internally swore. You really needed to work on not being embarrassed by everything he did and said. 

_Dinner? I’ve never been on a date before, what should I wear—_

“What do you mean you’ve never been on a date before? You are joking, right?” Abel asked incredulously and you realize that you had spoken aloud.

“Oh, uh, n-no—”

“That is completely ridiculous, how could that even be possible?” he muttered, his eyes wide. He seemed genuinely shocked.

“Abel, it really can’t be that surprising,” you said with a laugh.

“No, it’s completely absurd. What, are all the other men on Earth completely _blind_??” he said in disbelief, causing your blush to spread to your ears and neck as well. “Well...I guess I should be happy then. I get to be your first date,” he said as the thought sunk in and he let a happy and somewhat proud smile spread across his face.

“Well, did you have some place in mind?”’ you asked. You hoped it wouldn’t be something very fancy, that would be too much for a first date. You were already nervous enough as it was, you didn’t need an expensive menu and heels to make it worse. 

A playful smirk replaced the excited smile on his face as Abel’s eyes slid over to you.

“Along with gardening, cooking is another one of my hobbies. One I am particularly good at, or so I’m told. So I was thinking a simple dinner at my place and then movies and popcorn,” he said as he pulled up to your apartment. “U-unless you would rather go out, which is fine too...” he added quickly when you didn’t respond right away, his confidence fading fast.

“No! No, I would love to try your cooking,” you said with a reassuring smile. “Do I get to watch you cook?” 

“Do you want to?” he asked, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

“I-Is that weird?” 

“No, not at all. Dinner and a show then?” he asked as his lips curled up slightly.

“Can’t wait!” you said happily as you picked up Elliott's cage and opened the car door. “What time?”

“Six work?”

“Perfect!” you replied as you got out and closed the door. Bending in through the open passenger’s window, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you then,” you grinned.

“Definitely,” he replied, his cheeks pink and a soft smile on his lips. You stepped away from the curb as he drove off, waving to him until he turned out of sight. 

“Well Elliott,” you muttered, “it’s been quite an interesting few weeks, hasn’t it? I think I might be beginning to believe in fate. I used to think that was so silly, but…”

Your eyes glanced at the road where Abel’s car used to be and your fingers covered the smile that began to form on your lips. “...maybe it’s fate after all.”


End file.
